Our Stories
Nathan
Nathan joined Partnership Resources, Inc. on a part time basis in June of 2016. He was looking for a program that offered him the opportunity to explore recreational, skill building, and work options, access the community, and receive consistent support when needed. As he navigated through the first year or so of his time with Partnership Resources, Inc., Nathan experienced some challenges that put up obstacles to his desired outcomes. He added additional days in the program, and continued to participate with varying levels of support required.
Towards the end of 2017, Nathan’s team began observing an increasing need for extra support, and a decrease in his engagement in functional, productive program activities. The team got together on several occasions, and put together a plan with Nathan at the center. As the plan was implemented, Nathan’s participation levels and subsequent success increased dramatically. He added volunteer activities to his schedule, stayed physically active, and attended classes that allowed him to practice soft skills critical to employment.
Currently, Nathan is engaged in a two day a week community job with Beltline Properties. He is a member of a work team that completes light ground keeping duties for several properties along Beltline Boulevard in St. Louis Park, MN. Nathan not only completes his assigned tasks well and maintains a good level of focus on his work, but has assumed a peer leadership role-as he helps make sure work supplies/tools are ready to go prior to starting the job. Nathan’s abilities are starting to shine, and his outcomes are beginning to become a reality. A true success story.
Grant
Grant joined Partnership Resources, Inc. in September of 2016. He began his time after graduation at Partnership Resources, Inc.’s SLP site, and quickly jumped into a variety of program activities. Grant joined numerous community inclusion activities, engaged in skill building opportunities, and began demonstrating an interest in pursuing employment options.
As Grant progressed in the program, he added several different volunteer activities to his weekly and quarterly schedule, and when a seasonal part time community sub-contract job became available, he was encouraged to participate. In October of 2017, he joined a team that worked a sub-contract job on site at Bulk Reef Supply. Grant performed a variety of job tasks-from building reef supply kits to stocking items for the kits to general cleanup of the work environment. He was successful during this job opportunity and connected with employees at Bulk Reef Supply, and this added to his level of job skill and professionalism.
In April of 2018, Grant participated in an available ‘job trial’ opportunity as a recycler at Methodist Hospital. He accepted the challenge of a new environment and work expectations, and after performing the required job tasks for several shifts, was offered the job-a three day a week position as a recycler at Methodist Hospital. Grant appeared proud of his accomplishment, and made a quick and positive transition into his new job.
Donnie S.
Donnie started our program by joining the Minneapolis agency program. When he first came in for a tour it was very apparent that he was intelligent and also a very talented person. Donnie spent the first few years out of high school at home working on his music career. He plays guitar in a local band. He also has a talent for recording his own music; playing all the parts and singing all the voices tracks. As a musician, Donnie blends together a day job with his musical talents and interests.
Within a few weeks, a job opportunity was presented to Donnie to work on a Clean Team for a local Thrift Store in south Minneapolis. He worked 15 hours a week with a small team from PRI and full time job coach. He took the city bus to work instead of PRI van service. The store manager saw great potential in Donnie and after three months on the job, offered Donnie more hours and more duties working in the production of merchandise. Donnie expanded his skills and worked 40 hours a week independently. The job with the thrift store was Donnie’s first job that gave him confidence and skills to be a strong team member.
Retail work was not his career path and Donnie requested that PRI search for another job. Through person centered Employment Development a job working in a Distribution Warehouse was secured. He works 35 hours a week in a job description that is specific for him. He is preparing merchandise to be shipped, checking expiration dates and various organizing duties that are essential to the running of the warehouse. Donnie is using an app on his phone to plan his own rides to work with the city bus or Uber. He is making an impact on the production in the warehouse and is a valued team member.
David S.
David S. began with PRI Senior Site in August of 2013 and it would be an extreme overreaction to tell you he was excited to start. He was in fact very un-excited to start. David was quite shy and didn’t speak to staff or clients for weeks after he began. He would spend his days with his head down on the table – often declining his lunch and any and all activities offered to him. After a time, David would begin talking with a few of the staff, but would get upset easily and return to his quiet ways. It took well into his first year with PRI before David started to feel comfortable enough to interact with staff daily. However, the walls were beginning to crack! Staff continued to interact with David and tried different things to get him to come out of his shell. David enjoys movies and old TV shows and staff would talk with him about these and offer to let him watch some on the computer. Overtime, David began coming in with a smile on his face and excited to start his day. He would be happy about getting to tell us what he did the night before and what his plans are for the upcoming weekend. David currently enjoys sharing these stories with anyone who will listen! David loves to get out in the community on many different activities and does interact daily with his peers. His excitement shows in everything he does now and a smile crosses his face each and every day.
Alina B.
“I like my new job – busy, busy. The people at Seattle Sutton’s are good to work with – I love it!”
Supported with funds raised at the 2017 Taste of Art, Partnership Resources, Inc. clients engaged in a series of workshops termed the Power of Me through Mad Hatter Yoga. The workshops focused on various topics (Feelings/Emotions, Healthy Relationships, Bullying and Peer Pressure, Body Image and Self Worth), provided tools and ideas to use in daily life, and contained mindfulness exercises throughout. The participants all held an active role as a member of the group, as individual expression was an expectation, and a level of trust and openness was developed each session. As different as the 8 people were, they came together each week, under the guidance of the instructor, and learned and participated as a group and as individuals.
One of the participants in the workshops (Alina B.) demonstrated some new found skills after participating in the Power of Me series. Her ability to express her needs more positively, separate her feelings of stress from the job at hand, and work more productively with her peers are outcomes of her active engagement in the Power of Me. Alina has since started a new job, and added a second job to her weekly schedule, thus applying a level of ‘mindfulness’ not observed before as she navigates new expectations, and experiences new personal growth.